


a roboppi to call home

by moonlights0nata



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS
Genre: Fluff, Gen, No Spoilers, Something sweet after latest episode 8'')
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-09-01 12:22:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20258026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonlights0nata/pseuds/moonlights0nata
Summary: They called the place home. Yusaku had never once said ‘I’m home’ or ‘I’m back’ , but the robot said the line without fail.





	a roboppi to call home

**Author's Note:**

> There are NO spoilers for season 3 in this, I just wrote it because I needed somethig fluffy after the angst this season is delivering 8') If you saw episode 114, u will see sndnsnd

Yusaku got used to living in that worn out, old apartment by himself. He had never called it home, though, because he had no particular attachment over it. Any other apartment would have worked.

“Welcome home, Master!”

Roboppi always chirped when he came back. They called the place _ home. _ Yusaku had never once said _ ‘I’m home’ _ or _ ‘I’m back’ _, but the robot said the line without fail. Yusaku knew it was because they were programmed to do so.

Roboppi was like any other cleaning robot, but Yusaku had decided to get them to at least keep some order in the apartment. He didn’t have the habit to clean himself, so having someone to do it for him was easier.

He might have got them to be a little less lonely, too, even if he wouldn’t have admitted it back then. Roboppi wasn’t a person, couldn’t possibly comprehend the complexity of what Yusaku had gone through that made him feel an abyss with other people. But because Roboppi wasn’t a person, they felt like suitable company. They were simple, predictable.

With time, without him realizing, the small cleaning robot grew on him. Maybe because they were his only company. Maybe because they reminded him every day to eat when he didn’t or went through the simple motions of putting new beddings and fluffing his pillow (even when it was old and couldn’t really be fluffed anymore) and laying out his clothes for the day.

One time he knocked over a mug of coffee and cut himself trying to pick up the pieces. It was almost amusing how Roboppi scolded him then.

“No ! Master don’t clean, leave it to me ! Treat your wound!” They had provided the medical kit before cleaning the mess he’d made. They weren’t mad about the mess but more about the fact Yusaku had almost done their job for them. He found it a little funny.

No matter how terrible or dull or uneventful Yusaku’s day had been, there was a constant to all of them. Arriving at the apartment, hearing Roboppi’s greeting and finding it clean. There was nothing remarkable about the place. Nothing that Yusaku was attached to, nothing he wouldn’t let go.

Roboppi stood out in the simplicity of it all, though, always waiting for him. The robot he’d assembled himself, bought on a whim.

Maybe there was something he was attached to, after all.

Yusaku didn’t know what moved him that first time that he knelt in front of them and patted their head. He felt the very soft thrumming of their inner machinery under his palm and saw the lines that were Roboppi’s eyes change to a happier expression. Yusaku found himself smiling too.

“Thank you.”

“This is Roboppi’s job! It is no problem, Master !”

When it was winter, and the heater broke, Roboppi would stay close to him to keep him from freezing. They weren’t a furnace but they were warm to the touch. They liked when Yusaku kept his hand atop their head.

When Yusaku was sick, Roboppi kept cool compresses on his forehead (or tried to) and tossed one more blanket atop his bed. Some time after he had met Kusanagi, somehow, Roboppi and him had teamed up--he knew because on particularly bad sick days Kusanagi ended up bringing him food to his apartment. How else would he have found out if not for a sneaky cleaning robot?

When he awoke with screams stuck in his throat, sweating and chased by nightmares, Roboppi was usually in sleep mode, recharging for the next day. But Yusaku’s not sure when Roboppi started being awake earlier. All he knew was that one time he jumped awake and he saw Roboppi’s glowing eyes by his side, blinking at him.

“Master are you okay? Roboppi felt your heart rate go up !”

And Yusaku was still breathing hard, unsure how to reply, confused that the robot was awake. Roboppi wouldn’t--couldn’t--understand the depth of what Yusaku’s mind was up to at night.

“I...was scared.” It was the simplest explanation he could come to. It seemed to be enough for Roboppi, who let out a sound akin to a hum.

“Here, Master!” Roboppi stretched their arm and held their hand out for him. “I will hold your hand until you are not scared anymore ! Will that help?”

Yusaku stared, at first. Roboppi wouldn't know that Yusaku’s fears would never go away completely. That he’d continue to wake like this, and nothing could fix that permanently.

He laid back down and reached over to take Roboppi’s small round hand anyways. It was nothing like a human hand, but it was soft to the touch. He tried to focus on that to steady his breathing and try to dispel the visions from his dreams.

“Roboppi. How much power do you have left?”

“Plenty to clean all day and night!” Roboppi’s reply was chirpy as ever. Yusaku knew they wouldn’t lie about that.

“Have you been shutting off earlier?”

“Did Master notice? Yes!” Roboppi smiled with their eyes. “Master has been waking up earlier ! So Roboppi sleeps early to awake early to work too!”

They had such a simple way of thinking.

“It’s too early right now, though.” A look at the clock said it was 4 am. When he squeezed their small hand, he felt them lean closer to the edge of the bed, their wheels shifting on the floorboards. “So before you start cleaning, can you stay right here?”

Roboppi beamed. Literally, their face became a little too bright for Yusaku’s eyes.

“Of course, Master! I’ll stay, you sleep!” Their eyes shifted to what Yusaku assumed was a determined expression. They rose their other tiny fist. “Roboppi will not let Master be scared!”

Yusaku rose his free hand and rubbed the top of their head, smiling a little.

“Thank you, Roboppi.”

They beamed again before the light of their screen dimmed, glowing softly.

“Should I sing you a lullaby, Master?”

Yusaku said yes, just out of curiosity. He expected Roboppi to play back a recording but they actually tried to sing it, though Yusaku did not recognize it. The lyrics were either simply_ ‘la la la~’ _ or ‘ _ Please let Master have a good night sleep~ _’. It was a simple melody in Roboppi’s robotic voice, it couldn’t be called excellent, but it was enough for Yusaku.

He closed his eyes, holding Roboppi’s hand and listening to their lullaby. He fell asleep before he could find out if Roboppi came up with new lyrics. He awoke later in the morning with Roboppi still there, ready to start their duties. Yusaku figured it was time he also got started with his day.

Yusaku had never called his apartment home, he’s not sure he could remember having a steady one before, but one day when he stepped through the door, before Roboppi could speak, the words slipped out.

“I’m home.”

He surprised himself with them, but Roboppi was not fazed in the least. They smiled from the middle of the room, everything sparkling clean, like always.

“Welcome home !”

Yusaku blinked, before a tentative smile made it to his lips.

Yeah. Maybe he _ was _ home.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm also at
> 
> moonlights0nata on tumblr  
@moons0nata (main) and @pocketwriting (wips/ideas) on twitter


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